Molten metal spout



Jan. 7, 1969 R MULLER MOLTEN METAL SPOUT Filed Jan. l0, 1967 ru. w N/ nM ,NN n E u R y (la wm fm .v

1mm \om United States Patent Oiice 3,420,513 Patented Jan. 7, 19693,420,513 MOLTEN METAL SPOUT Reuben Miller, Chicago, Ill., assignor toUnited States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan.10, 1967, Ser. No. 608,408 U.S. Cl. 266-38 1 Claim Int. Cl. C21b 7/14;F27d 3/ 00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spout for introducing moltenmetal into a furnace, such as an open hearth furnace. The spout ismounted in the charging opening of the furnace by means of hanger armswhich are attached to the sides of the spout and hook on to structuralmembers of the furnace adjacent the charging opening.

This invention relates to spouts for `charging molten metal intofurnaces, such as open hearth furnaces. More particularly, the inventionrelates to the means by which the spout is supported in the chargingopening of the furnace.

In the past, the most common means of supporting these hot metal spoutshas been a floor stand. The spout is simply placed on top of its standwith its front pouring end inserted inside the furnace, while moltenmetal is poured into the raised rear end of the spout from a hot metalladle.

One problem with placing the spout on a fioor stand is that the standmust cover part of the charging buggy trackway in front of the furnace,This trackway is used by cars filled with scrap and other chargingmaterials for a row of open hearth furnaces. Thus, when one furnace isbeing charged with molten iron using a spout mounted on a floor stand,it obstructs the travel of the cars of scrap and other :chargingmaterials for adjacent furnaces. Also, when the train of chargingbuggies is on the trackway in front of one furnace for the purpose ofcharging scrap, the train is so long that it prevents placing a spoutand stand at an immediately adjacent furnace for the purpose of chargingthat furnace with molten metal. These problems have become more acute inmany open hearth facilities, where the furnaces have been extended anddeepened to increase their capacity and are requiring longer chargingtimes for each heat. The time wasted by the delays resulting from thestands for molten metal spouts being in the way of the charging buggiesis becoming more and more costly.

Another disadvantage of the present stands for supporting molten metaalspouts is that they tend to be top-heavy when the spout is placed uponthem. This is particularly true of the tall stands for charging furnaceopenings that are relatively high above the level of the charging oor.Such stands present a safety hazard to the men working around them, andthey also can damage the furnace when they topple over.

An object of my invention is to solve the foregoing problem withconventional molten metal spouts and their stands, by providing a spoutfor charging open hearth furnances and the like that can be mounted onthe fur nace rather than on the charging floor.

Another object Of my invention is to provide a spout for pouring moltenmetal into a furnace that can be positioned so as not to interfere withthe operations of other charging equipment or of the furnace chargingdoor.

These and other objects will appear more readily from the followingdetailed description of rny invention and the attached drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a side sectional view of my improved spout and the portionof an open hearth furnace on which the spout is mounted, taken alongline I-I of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the spout of FIGURE 1, showing also the frontof the furnace on which it is mounted.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a spout 2 is supported in a charging opening 3 ofan open hearth furnace 4. A door 5 hangs above the spout 2 in theopening 3 of the furnace, and is raised and lowered by a cable 6. Thespout 2 is designed to funnel molten metal M from ladle L into thesurfaie 4 over a front bank 7.

The spout 2 has a body 8 lined with refractory material 9. The body 8hangs with its front or nose portion 10 tilted slightly downward andinside the furnace 4. Rear portion 12 of the yspout body 8 is outsidethe furnace 4 and receives the molten metal M from ladle L.

The spout body 8 is supported in the position shown in FIGURE 1 by apair of arms 14 (FIGURE 2) extending laterally from both sides of therear portion 12 of the spout body. The arms 14 are welded to plates 16,which are in turn welded to the sides of the spout body 8. Mounted onthe outward ends of the arms 14 are a pair of hook members 18, whichhave hooks 19 extending over upwardly facing edge surfaces 20 ofhorizontal beams 22. The beams 22 form part of front wall 23 of furnace4.

The arms 14 rest against vertical buckstays 24, which are also part ofthe furnace wall 23. The arms 14 thus prevent the spout body 8 fromswinging too` far forward into the furnace. The angle at which the arms14 are welded to the spout body 8 will determine the pitch of the spoutand the speed at which the molten metal M is funnelled into the furnace4. The pitch of the spout should be slightly downward to cause as gentleowing of the metal as possible.

A splash guard 26 (FIGURE 1) is provided on the spout body 8 directlybeneath the furnace door 5. This guard protects the door 5 and archportion 29 of the furnace opening 3 from splashings of molten metal thatoccur during the pouring operation.

On the rear end of the spout body 8 is welded a chuck 30 of the typethat is used' on charging boxes to enable them to be hooked onto thepeel of a charging machine. The head of the peel is inserted in slot 32of the chuck 30. A Wedge-shaped plate 34 Ibetween the chuck 30 and theback of the spout body 8 fixes the desired angle of the chuck 30 foreasy insertion of the peel head in slot 32.

To place the spout 2 on the furnace wall 23, Itihe spout may `be broughtto the furnace on a charging =box car C or any other suitable transportlmeans. The peel heard of the charging machine is then inserted in theslot 32, and the charging machine operator lifts the spout olf the carand places it in the position shown in the drawings, Iwith its hookmembers 18 hung on beams 22 of the furnace 4. If desired, the spout 2may be provided with projecting rings or other means for engaging acrane hook, so that the spout may be placed on the furnace -by a craneas well as iby a charging machine.

When the spout 2 has been thus placed, itis held above the top ofIclharging box B on car C (FIGURE 1), so that the box B can be movedunderneath the spout to carry its contents to another furnace. The spoutis held securely on the furnace at the proper pitch angle for pouringmolten metal, and neither the spout body 8 nor the hook members 18interfere with the operation of furnace door 5.

I claim:

1. In combination, an open hearth furnace having a stationary furnacewall with an opening therethrough and existing structure includingupwardly facing edge surfaces on either side of said opening and a spoutadapted to be supported on said existing struc- V'ture of said furnacewall, said spout comprising a spout body having a front portionextending through said furnace opening and a rear portion outside ofsaid furnace,

a pair of arms extending laterally from both sides of said rear portionof said spout body `and engaging the outside of said furnace wall -atpoints adjacent said furnaoe opening and below said upwardly facing edgesurfaces of said furnace wall structure,

hanger members mounted on said arms which extend upwardly from said armsand engage said upwardly facing edge surfaces of said furnace wallstructure,

wherelby said spout is supported by said engagement of said hanger'members 'with said upwardly facing edge surfaces and is positioned at aproper pouring angle by the engagement of said arms with said furnacewall.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,147,884 7/1915 Ormsby 193-2 X1,262,876 4/1918 Turnbull 193-2 X 2,807,456 9/1957 Ott 214--35v X' 10EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

M. L. AIEMAN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

